June 3, 2012

Political activists converged on Wisconsin on Sunday to join get-out-the-vote efforts two days before a historic recall election for Republican Governor Scott Walker that is seen as a test for November's presidential race.

But as I just wrote in the previous post, I was all over downtown Madison today, and there was NO political activity at all.

Barrett arrived while Walker was still on the premises, and Walker lingered a few yards away talking to attendees while Barrett got in position to serve Dairy Breakfast food, a ritual of Wisconsin politics. The candidates were both on the scene for about 20 minutes.

Barrett was greeted warmly by some of the breakfast-goers — at least one man told him Barrett he was voting for him, prompting Barrett to joke, "Give him a lot of really good food" — but others reacted differently, telling Barrett they were voting for Walker and not shaking his hand when he extended it.

Asked if he got this kind of reaction when he ran against Walker in 2010, Barrett said, "No no, this is a newer occurrence."

Yes, because this recall is an unwelcome intrusion on the people of the state, and we have reason to be angry about it. Those who pushed for the recall felt angry, after losing the regular election, and this anger took them as far as it did, but it set up a newer occurrence, which was to outrage the people who expected to be left alone until the next regular election.

Democratic Party leaders — including President Obama — sat back and allowed the fury of the protesters to build and channel into a recall. I presume they hoped the grassroot passion would benefit them. But they should have seen where this would go, and they should have cautioned against it. Every creditable candidate — including Tom Barrett — should have said they would not run and no one should sign the recall petition. But the folly was allowed to go on, and now Scott Walker has raked in the millions, become a national "rock star," and stands ready to collect a new mandate.

And now, in the end, the Democratic Party, with its lackluster candidate Tom Barrett, who already lost to Scott Walker in 2010, looks lame and defeated. The more left-wing folk who drove the protests last year have to be irritated that all their intense energy and hard work got co-opted by the Party, which didn't really have any idea what to do with it, but just wanted to use it, because it was there to be used.

51 comments:

How many states have this recall stuff. I can't recall anyone's having addressed whether this can just happen constantly. Why don't we just have voting and do-overs continually. It would sure help news sales. If Walker wins again, can't they just start the process right away again? With more faked signatures? And get Bill and Hillary to go around and around and around from state to city to trailer park to fairground. Keeps everything all stirred up. There ought to be a kind of double or nothing for people who challenge and don't win, like you have to be dropped from a helicopter into a Dixie cup of Gatorade.

And rural Wisconsin, that NRA TV ad correctly shows us that just when you have your scope on that buck of a lifetime, just when you're about to enter hero status pulling that trigger of freedom, Tom Barrett will snap his fingers and make that 30-30 disappear right out of your arms!

And, end up where? Probably in Milwaukee! Because if you outlaw guns, only outlaws....well you know. TRUTH. I Stand With Walker.

Bailey shows us the way. After the gutting of the public-sector unions, making unions get dues without the power of law, and cutting lavish pensions -- after all that, and the protests over all that, and the legislators fleeing the state over all that, Walker will only win because of racism (because any time you mention Milwaukee, it's racism) and gun rights.

What a silly, unserious person. Your side is going to lose because people like what Walker did and the Republicans did, dude. They like the gutting of the public-sector unions. That's the whole story.

It was a dog and pony show orchestrated by a combination of over the top labor union officials and the MSM. Reminds me of the hysteria that gripped democrats after the 2000 election. They were so stunned Bush won they were willing to destroy the country in order to overturn the election results, They failed, but then went on to disrupt governance for 8 years until a rank amateur named Obama used his charm to get elected. We are all paying the piper for that tune.

"Tom Barrett is not telling the truth about crimes. In MILWAUKEE dudes! Milwaukee. Ahem, one more time, Milwaukee. *WINK* The governor sez so all the time! I Stand With Scott Walker."

Just think about what you're saying, Bailey (yeah, I know it's hard). You're basically saying because Milwaukee has black people in it it can't be criticized, despite the facts. Take a look at Detroit and see how far that got them. After years of sweeping the city's problems under the rug, because of deference to incompetent (and corrupt) black leadership, it's a shell of its former self. Wouldn't it have been better to substitute competent leadership for the incompetents? Competent black leadership or competent white leadership would both have been an improvement. But instead, it's been turned into a wasteland due to voting for the wrong people for the wrong reasons. Voting based on skin color, and protecting incompetence based on skin color, and especially protecting corruption based on skin color, is a recipe for failure.

Gee, Bailey, for all your trolling about racism, you are ignoring that Mayor Tom Barrett unseated Miwaukee's first black Mayor, Marvin Pratt. Marvin Pratt was appointed as interim Mayor. Of course, all those racists in the City of Milwaukee weren't going to stand for having a black man be Mayor, so Tom Barrett stepped into the race (he had been Congressman, but he retired so he could save Milwaukee from the black scourge).

Milwaukee voters better give some thought to the implications of having Barrett become Governor - they would be risking that the Mayor position could be taken up by a black man! Superhero Tom Barrett saved their bacon once, who knows if there is another white man as awesome as he is!.

Bailey, a vote for Barrett is a vote for a racist. Chew on that for awhile.

Please advise. A couple of right-wingers from the very blue state of NY, with ties to WI, want to drive over tomorrow to be in WI on the night of the count. They want to know where is the best place to be in a bar setting, to experience the glow and conservative comraderie. Want to be in Neenah sometime Wed p.m.

The story of under reporting Milwaukee crime stats broke on the front page of The Milwaukee Journal.

The Walker campaign used the story (legitimately) to suggest the crime numbers Barrett was touting were fudged. Had the numbers not been under reported to the FBI by the MPD, there would be no story. Where is the racism here?

For comparison, imagine what would have happened if the Republicans would have recalled/impeached Obama in late 2009/early 2010. It would have been a disaster for the Republicans. instead they worked hard on getting good candidates and really cleaned house in November 2010.

Meade, MadisonMan, My wife and I have been camping together for coming up on 14 years. Usually 3 times a year. Every single time, and I kid you not, every single time we have gotten some rain. Sometimes tons, a few times only some night time sprinkles, but it has rained (snowed once in Custer STate Park) it has rained.

My kids tend to like it. They had a great laugh last year when I was making them s'mores in a mighty downpour at Lake Wissota State Park. Good times. Especially with a good tent.